the confident gaze by deshpande

In the article “The Confident Gaze” by Shekhar Deshpande, Deshpande discusses why National Geographic magazine is popular. He claims that the photos taken for National Geographic magazine are set-up so they are easy to look at and don’t show the entire story. He asserts, “Human suffering becomes worth a good image” (par 9). Deshpande is alleging that people like looking at the photos in National Geographic because viewers can relate to bad experiences and if the bad things in the photo aren’t happening to that person, it makes them feel better. Deshpande states, “The “innocent” attractiveness of the photography of National Geographic, its ambiguous representation of the knower and the known as the most “natural” and inevitable parts of our world are what have made for the success of the magazine” (par 7). He is claiming that engaging the readers by the photos, even if they are not real, is a strategy to sell the magazine. The magazine may claim their goal is to educate viewers, when really it Deshpande argues that National Geographic magazine’s top priority is trying to sell their product.